Somewhere I Belong
by Just A Passing Cynic
Summary: Harry had learnt from a young age that he wasn’t wanted around; however that all changes when he catches the eye of someone who offers him a sanctuary where he will belong. With his family of Assassins. HPSS; Slytherin Harry, Dark and Political Themes.


**Somewhere I Belong **

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Harry had learnt from a young age that he wasn't wanted around; however that all changes when he catches the eye of someone who will offer a place where Harry will belong. With his family of Assassins. HPSS; Slytherin Harry, Dark and Political Themes

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**Main Relationship Focus: **Harry Potter/Severus Snape  
**Genres: **Action & Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst, Drama, Family, Friendship, Romance, Suspense and Violence  
**Rating: **M for sexual situations, blood, violence and language  
**Length: **Epic  
**Warnings: **Slash, Homoerotic Content, Sex, Violence, Gore. **  
Disclaimers: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J.K Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Warner Bros, Bloomsbury. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  
**Beta(s): **None yet.  
**Notes: **First Runner-Up of my second Poll. Last minute change for Harry's chosen partner, it's now Severus, instead of Draco. I felt like changing things up a bit; I've been writing HarryDraco fics forever, so I wanted to try out something new. Besides, this Harry is quite the dark character (cynical and pragmatic) and way more mature than the rest of his 'peers' at Hogwarts for someone his age, I think Severus is the best person to appreciate Harry. And oh, Dumbledore is a meddling old coot and the Weasleys (most of them) are going to be quite annoying.

For those who are interested, enjoy.

**Stylistic Notations:**

_§ Dialogue §_ - Parseltongue (Snake)  
§ Dialogue § - Parseltongue (Cyan/Harry)  
"Dialogue" – Normal conversation  
_: Dialogue : _- Sign Language  
_"Dialogue" _– Mind Speak  
_Dialogue _– Thoughts if indicated, or letters

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Chapter I: Satin Steel

"Harry-"

Albus Dumbledore was firmly cut off by a polite yet resolute tenor. Large emerald eyes framed with long black lashes were cool as they regarded the wizened wizard's baby blue eyes.

"For the last time, Headmaster, my name is not Harry Potter. I'm Cyan Black."

The old man smiled indulgently, "Harry, but that's the name that your parents gave you."

The young man's lethal gaze flashed dangerously, "Birth parents who just left me with a bunch of relatives who are the planet's worst excuses for human beings. My father is not James Potter and please do well to remember that."

The twinkling in the baby blue gaze dimmed slightly in disappointment but the sparkle renewed and the teenage boy found himself at the receiving end of a grandfatherly smile.

"Very well, Cyan, my boy-"

"And I am not your boy either." The iciness emanating from the raven-haired boy was almost palpable but the jovial mood was not to be ruined as the headmaster continued without the slightest hint of being discouraged.

"You are here for your last year of education and to sit the N.E.W.T.s after six years of home-schooling and for your subjects, you have chosen Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Charms, Defence, Potions and Transfiguration. That's almost twice the workload an average Hogwarts student would take on. Are you sure about your selections?"

Cyan merely regarded the headmaster with a cool gaze, "I am very sure, Headmaster."

Dumbledore levelled a blue stare at his newest Seventh Year student who managed to hold his gaze without even the slightest bit of discomfort. Finally, it was the old wizard himself who broke the gaze as Dumbledore smiled and nodded.

"Very well, your International OWLs results have been most impressive, I'm sure you can handle the workload just fine. Miss Granger and Mister Malfoy would be pleased to have you in most of their classes."

Cyan inclined his head graciously to accept the praise, "If there isn't anything else, Headmaster, may I take my leave?"

Dumbledore smiled, "Oh no, Mister Black, there is one more thing to do before you leave." The old wizard summoned a ratty old hat, Cyan looked at it with mild curiosity.

"You have to be Sorted."

The Hat settled on the young man's head and Cyan sighed mentally, _the things he put up for his father._

"_**Ahhh, you have quite the interesting mind, Mister Black." **_A gruff but wise voice rang out in the brunet's head. Cyan smirked inwardly and gave the entity a mental response.

"_If it helps, it's rather twisted too." _

"_**You have a sense of humour! Wonderful! You're not quite what the Headmaster thought you would be. Finally, someone to kick the great Albus Dumbledore off his pedestal; he's been sitting a little too comfortably on this seat of his for quite some time. What wouldn't I give to watch him squirm…"**_

"_You're not that bad…" _Cyan smirked inwardly, "_Alright, let's compromise. Put me in a House where I would be least tempted to commit bloody murder and I'll see what I can do about this meddling old coot. It's no wonder Father didn't like him." _

The hat's gravely laugh rang out in the young man's head, Cyan could help himself but to crack a half-smile.

"_**Well, it seems that there is only one House for you."**_

The tear, presumably the Hat's mouth, opened and it shouted its final verdict.

"SLYTHERIN!"

If Cyan thought that it was dignified, he would have laughed outright at the comical bulging of the old Headmaster's eyes. Albus Dumbledore was shocked into speechlessness, something that rarely happened and definitely not in front of a seventeen year old but Cyan Black witness it, and with a great deal of satisfaction.

"Thank you for your time, Headmaster. Now that I'm Sorted, I'll take my leave. I believe I have to go and see my new Head of House to be settled in."

The young man didn't even wait for the old wizard to reply before he turned around and left the office. The Hat cackled softly to itself, feeling uncharacteristically smug and pleased about this particular Sorting.

This boy, Cyan Black, will be someone to watch out for.

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Cyan sighed inwardly as he made his way to the Dungeons, his new home for the next nine months; he wasn't happy at all about moving here and that particular meeting with the Headmaster of Hogwarts proved his father right.

Albus Dumbledore was a meddling old coot.

And meddling coots, in his books, deserved to be taken out to minimize the incessant annoying. Cyan sighed inwardly again, missing his previous freedom and family quite profoundly.

Cyan Black, formerly known as Harry Potter, was mercifully rescued from his abusive relatives at the age of four by a man named Ciarán Black. He had found the little child mistreated, bruised and malnourished. Vowing never to let the little angel he found feel lonely or hungry again, the wealthy man adopted the dark-haired boy as his Heir.

Besides being the CEO of Black Incorporated, Ciarán was known as, to a much smaller number of people, the Leader of Sanctum. The man had created the organization in an attempt to lessen the taint weighing down his family name. Sanctum comprised of a band of talented people coming together to rid the world of filth and evil. They were Assassins who saw the world in various shades of grey.

Little did Albus Dumbledore know that his 'Golden Boy' was the Sanctum's most efficient field operative… Agent X.

Little Cyan Black was introduced to the world of extreme physical and mental training at the young age of six. He took to it like a fish would to water and enjoyed it immensely for it was satisfyingly challenging. The members of Sanctum, each deadly in their own right, soon became Cyan's family after a short period of co-habiting for they couldn't resist the adorable puppy-dog eyes and cute pout. Each and every one of Sanctum's associates was a teacher to Cyan; the organization's resident experts all had their hand in moulding the person Cyan Black was today. Duelling, Weaponry, Swordplay, Espionage, Manipulation; you name it, they taught him. The young man would miss them profusely, both their person and their ability to challenge him, to make his life a little more interesting.

Slytherin's newest addition, thanks to his father's previous directions, made his way quickly to the resident Potions Master's office without much delay. Cyan found himself staring at the portrait of an Egyptian Asp. The serpent swayed hypnotically and the young man smiled.

_§ Another student… what a bore… I wish there was someone who could Speak to me… §_

Taking pity on the beautiful creature, Cyan hissed a reply. § Hello. §

The snake stopped its hissing momentarily, surprised. _§ You Speak! I haven't had a decent conversation in decades! §_

Cyan smiled, § You are a very beautiful specimen, it is an honour. §

The serpent hissed in pleasure and then asked, _§ Are you here to see the surly man? §_

The young man nodded, green eyes alight with amusement. § Yes. §

_§ So you're going to be one of his hatchlings? §_

The Slytherin smiled slightly, § You could put it that way. Is there a password needed? §

The snake shook its head, _§ Yes, but not with you. I will alert him of your presence. §_

§ Thank you… § Cyan faltered and the snake supplied the young man with its name.

_§ Isis. §_

Cyan smiled and nodded, § Thank you, Isis. §

Isis hissed again and then the portrait door swung open. _§ The surly man is waiting inside. Good luck. §_

Cyan nodded his thanks and walked into a tastefully decorated sitting room that had the soothing combination of dark green and black. It was something the young man did not expect but it was nice. His thoughts then turned to his Head of House.

Severus Snape.

The man, one of Europe's most brilliant Potions Masters and the youngest one in history to attain the Adept title at the age of thirty-two, was the Head of Slytherin and three years below his Father when Ciarán was in Hogwarts. The elder Black had remembered the Potions Master to be Malfoy's lapdog, a greasy-haired, swallow skinned, awkward teenager who followed the blond everywhere and was bullied by the Marauders.

He was also a known Death Eater, well, until Dumbledore testified on his behalf.

Cyan walked further into the office and then saw a figure bent over a stack of papers, presumably grading them. The first thing the young man noticed were the Potions Master's hands; they had elegantly long, tapered digits that were stained slightly with potions ingredients and ink.

"Mister Black."

The man didn't look up as he addressed Cyan but to the younger Slytherin, the older man's voice was a velvet caress that held a seductively smoky hint of darkness and chocolate.

"Professor Snape."

It was then when his Head of House looked up and Cyan's breath caught as his eyes took Severus Snape in at once. Black hair falling to frame a strong, stern jaw and touching his wide shoulders, below a broad, intelligent brow was a proud aquiline nose and lean, angular cheeks. And his mouth… the man's mouth was sensual, even when it was quirked in that cynical, almost cruel line.

The older man stood up, allowing Cyan to take in his full height. The young Slytherin stared; his Head of House was tall, dark and irresistibly, unconventionally handsome.

His type.

Why did his father say otherwise?

The man's intense dark eyes glittered and Cyan felt uncharacteristically weak in the knees as he was reacquainted with the Voice.

"Welcome to Slytherin."

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The snake in his portrait door hissed, signalling a presence outside his quarters. Dumbledore had just sent word, notifying him that there was a new Seventh Year Slytherin.

Great; one more hormonal teenager to deal with, not that his batch of dangerous Snakes weren't enough already.

The door opened and Severus realised that this new Slytherin has got to be the quietest walker he had ever met. Being a spy meant having extremely alert senses all the time, it honed him and he prided himself for having such sensitive senses. But this Cyan Black walked without a single sound; not even a rustle of robes gave him away.

Who is he?

Severus, using his impressive ability of deduction honed by his years of spying, guessed that the new student would be just a few paces away from his desk. He didn't look up; after all, he had an image to uphold. Thankfully, he wasn't horribly wrong.

"Mister Black."

The young man answered in a pleasant tenor, "Professor Snape."

When he was addressed politely, Severus finally looked up from his tiresome stack of papers that deserved none of his attention and every right to be thrown into a fire and into the greenest eyes he had ever seen. Time seemed to stop for a moment as Severus concluded that the boy was a vision from heaven.

Magnificent jewel-hued eyes were framed with perfect long lashes that curled seductively at the ends. Flawless alabaster skin that looked to be as smooth as satin. Perfect rose-tinted lips with the lower lip temptingly fuller than the upper. He possessed delicate features that would put any beautiful woman to shame and yet the young man was empathically handsome; he carried himself with confidence and had a carriage that could only be associated with a man and yet there was a grace, an elegance that would not look out of place if possessed by a woman. He was of a perfect height, neither too tall nor too short for his gender. Cyan Black was a contradiction and also a seamless picture of perfection. Severus stared at the epitome of androgyny, of contradicting beauty.

Emerald eyes stared steadily at him, seemingly not intimidated.

Where had he seen those eyes before?

Severus snapped out of his reverie, remembering his position as this young man's Head of House and teacher. If he was anything, Severus Snape was a man of principles and he had no intention of breaking it, even if he was sorely tempted. The acerbic man cleared his throat and said.

"Welcome to Slytherin."

Cyan Black elegantly inclined his head and returned a word of thanks, his manners impeccable and his expressions revealing nothing. He wouldn't look out of place as a Pureblooded scion. Severus took the chance to establish himself as the stern educator.

"We, as Slytherins, are looked down upon by other Houses because we have 'ties' to the Dark. I'm sure that you are aware of the implications, especially as a Seventh Year in the middle of the war. Let them think what they like; we do not answer to their stereotypes. You shall be the perfect student outside and will adhere to the rules; I do not want word of a Seventh Year Slytherin stepping out of line reaching my ears. I don't care if you are new to Hogwarts, I expect you to be an example to the younger ones in Slytherin. I believe you will be a worthy addition to Slytherin. Do not disappoint me, Mister Black."

"Yes, Professor." The boy's tone reflected nothing, Severus approved inwardly. Cyan Black will do well in his House.

"Very well, follow me. I will show you to your new rooms."

Cyan obediently followed the much taller man and as the pair wove in and out of passages and archways, the young Assassin kept his senses open and alert. He did notice that his Head of House had a lithe, toned body underneath all the drab black robes and he moved with a certain grace and lethalness that reminded Cyan of Malika, his Black Panther.

Finally, at the very end of the underground passage was a blank stonewall. The Potions Master said the password in a low voice. The wall swung open to reveal a stone archway, they walked through it and Cyan found themselves in the Slytherin Common Room, an elegant room decorated in dark green and black. There were a smattering of students ranging from the youngest to the oldest; almost everyone's eyes were on Cyan except for a group of older students surrounding a white blond male.

"Everyone who is not a Seventh Year, I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow morning." Recognizing an order when they heard one, the Slytherins, lest a few, left the Common Room but not before eyeing Cyan once more as they exited.

All who remained in the vicinity were a collection of different people but presumably all Pureblooded, judging by their mannerisms, facial expressions (or the lack of it) and the quality of their robes.

"This is Cyan Black, a last minute addition to your year. He is the son of Ciarán Black; do well to treat him as one of your own." Cyan could see the difference, in their eyes, at the mention of his father's name, "Draco, he will be your responsibility this week."

"Yes, Sir." The stern man nodded and left in a flurry of robes. Then there were nine sets of eyes on him. The blond, Draco, was a strikingly handsome individual with white blond hair and cool grey eyes. Regal and poised, Cyan could see the familial resemblance to Lucius Malfoy. As the taller boy stood up to offer him a hand, Cyan also noted that the Malfoy heir was an accomplished dueler and a Quidditch player, if the confidence, solid built and sleek lines of his physique told him anything

"Draco Malfoy."

Cyan grasped the hand and shook it firmly with a deceptive smile.

"Cyan Black."

Draco smirked, "I believe we are cousins."

The slighter male quirked a corner of his lips, "Aren't we all?"

Something akin to amusement entered the formidable Slytherin's cool gaze. Then, befitting the leader of this particular group, Draco introduced the rest of his cohorts.

"Blaise Zabini," A lithe young man with mocha skin, wavy raven tresses and unusual amber eyes inclined his head in acknowledgment, his exotic gaze intelligent. Belonging to one of the most powerful families in Europe, Blaise was the youngest son of Raphael Zabini but the most likely to inherit the large estate from his father. Possibly Draco's right hand man if his sitting arrangement beside Draco was to reveal anything.

"Ashleigh Selwyn."

A tall, slender girl, belonging to one of Britain's most mysterious families, who had sharp blue-grey eyes, dark brown hair and classical features nodded coolly, her gaze assessing. Cyan noted that she, unlike the rest of the girls, was wearing dark slacks but it didn't diminish an ounce of her beauty. Not unlike Severus, the deadly grace oozing effortlessly from this particular individual could be likened to a dangerous feline.

"Ash, if you please." Her voice was smooth and firm, like a flawless blade. She sat on the blond's left; Cyan smirked inwardly, a diplomat and a Champion, looks like the Malfoy did know how to choose his Court. Draco moved to another girl.

"Pansy Parkinson." The young woman was as pretty as a Belladonna flower and probably just as poisonous, judging by the black widow vibe Cyan got from observing the black-haired girl, whose sapphire gaze was sly.

"A pleasure." Her voice was husky and seductive. Pansy offered Cyan a pale elegant hand, which the young man brought it politely to his lips. The Parkinson heiress smiled sultrily, her eyes sizing him up.

"Likewise." Cyan sent the smoky brunette witch a dashing smile. Draco smirked and moved on.

"Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle," if there were one word to describe them, it would be 'bodyguard'. Both of them were impressively built with bands of steel for muscles. Despite their images screaming 'Henchmen', Cyan could see the glint of intelligence in the brown gazes.

"Daphne Greengrass," was a petite blonde witch with green eyes who smiled softly, dollishly pretty with curled locks and doe eyes. Cyan brought her dainty hand to his lips and she giggled. The perfect image of a delicate woman who needed protection. But Cyan suspected her to be a remarkable witch beneath the fragile façade, if she wasn't, how would she survive in this cruel House?

"Theodore Nott." A slender brunet with sharp light brown eyes and sharp angles nodded, there was an intelligent air around this boy and Cyan could spot ink on the tips of his thumb, index and middle fingers on his left hand. A scribe, advisor or perhaps a strategist…

The final person to be introduced was the female equivalent of Vincent or Gregory. "Millicent Bulstrode" was a formidable looking witch with a shrewd dark blue gaze. Cyan wouldn't want to mess with her if she was as good in combat as she looked to be. Millicent gave him a curt nod and Cyan inclined his head. Draco returned his attention to the slighter male, "On behalf of all of us, welcome to Slytherin."

Cyan smiled and nodded, thinking that his stint in Slytherin was going to be interesting.

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Cyan rested well last night, after securing his private room and rose at four-thirty, his usual hour of waking to go complete his morning routine which consisted mostly of physical exercises, sword routines and knife throwing practices. He spent about two hours in the Room of Requirement, another area that his father had told him about. He was freshly showered, clothed by the time the rest of his year was awake.

It was about seven when he was out in the Common Room and he was surprised to see Ashleigh on one of the couches, waiting for the rest. Her cool blue-grey gaze met his emerald gaze and she nodded.

"Good morning."

Cyan smiled and took a seat across her. The young woman had a light flush to her cheeks but other than that, she was relaxed; obviously she had just exercised before her shower. Cyan was intrigued, could it be that she was just like him? She had the carriage of a fighter, a good one at that, and her eyes were always alert and moving.

He would have to observe her a little more closely.

It was then when the rest of the year decided to enter the Common Room, immaculately dressed and ready for the day. At the sight of Draco, Ashleigh stood up and took her place at the left side of the tall blond.

"Join us for breakfast, Black?"

Cyan smiled, "Sure, Malfoy."

The ten Seventh Year Slytherins entered the Great Hall with almost everyone's eyes on them. Then the whispers started, especially when they saw Cyan.

"_Who's that new student?"_

"_Why is he with the Slytherins?"_

"_Who is he?"_

"_He's hot."_

"_Another Slytherin?"_

Cyan ignored it and walked with his peers to the Slytherin table. He sat across Draco and Pansy passed the newest Slytherin his timetable. The attractive brunette raised an eyebrow when she saw the contents.

"Six subjects, Black?"

Cyan nodded, not offering anything else as he bit into an apple. Draco, Theodore and Blaise shared a gaze while Ashleigh concentrated on her cereal. Daphne had a small smile playing on her pink lips as her green eyes lingered on the new addition to their year.

Suddenly there was a flutter of wings and a surge of owls entered the Hall. A gorgeous snowy owl landed in front of Cyan, who smiled at the familiar.

"Hey, girl. What have you got for me?"

The owl dropped her baggage onto her owner's lap and hooted, Cyan picked off a bit of bacon and fed it to his owl. Pansy and Daphne saw the lovely bird and started cooing, the owl preened at the attention while the rest look on with amusement. Cyan opened the letter, which had a red version of his father's personal crest as a seal, and recognized his father's elegant script.

_Cyan,_

_I'm beginning to regret sending you off to Hogwarts; by the look on Kisa's face, I wouldn't be surprised if she was plotting to kill me for separating you from her. Jaden says hi and you can expect a visit from her soon, I do hope you are enjoying Hogwarts. My sources informed me that you've been Sorted into Slytherin. Good on you, I bet Dumbledore must have swallowed his tongue whole when the hat announced its decision. I would have loved to see his face. _

_I don't want any word of trouble involving you reaching my ears, other than that, enjoy yourself. Make friends as you like, I'm not going to restrict you on that but do make friends who are worthy of your time. We're recruiting for almost every position except field; Ice is quite tired of looking after our arses alone. Look out for possible candidates. I'm sure it would be an interesting experience. You will hear from me soon and it wouldn't kill to write home once in a while._

_Don't get off track; you're in Hogwarts for a reason._

_But other than that, have fun._

_Regards,  
Your Father._

_P.S: This letter will automatically combust after you finished reading._

True to his father's words, the letter disintegrated in a pretty show of blue-green flames. The green-eyed teen smirked, his father as good as told him to rebel against Dumbledore. Just make it subtle and untraceable.

Ciarán Black wasn't a stupid man, he knew who he was adopting from the very beginning and he made sure that his young son knew of his own background. Being dishonest always came back to bite him painfully in the arse. Cyan was never kept in the dark where his past was concerned; in fact, he knew more than Dumbledore would like him to know.

"Hedwig," the snowy owl turned her attention away from the adoring girls to her Master, "after you're done, you can take a rest in the Owlery, I'll come to you when I have my reply done, alright?"

The snow-white owl hooted her understanding, took one more bite of the bacon, nipped the girls' fingers gently and took off. Daphne and Pansy giggled before returning to their previous conversation, looking like quite the harmless pair of pretty girls. Cyan pitied anyone who underestimated either of them.

"Time to go." Ashleigh's voice cut through the conversations and the young woman made her way to the first class of the day, Potions. Cyan was looking rather forward to that class, more specifically, to seeing the person who taught the class.

The class, unsurprisingly, was held in one of the classrooms situated in the Dungeons. There were more Slytherins and Ravenclaws than Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs in this Advanced class. Cyan looked for a seat; everyone was in pairs except for the brunette girl at the front of the class. The young man shrugged mentally, a seat was a seat. He walked towards the table and introduced himself.

"Hello, I'm Cyan Black. Is this seat taken?"

Intelligent chocolate brown eyes looked up to meet his green gaze and she shook her head.

"May I have it?"

The young woman, quite pretty in Cyan's opinion if not for her bushy hair which obstructed people from seeing her facial features, shrugged.

"Don't you want to sit with your Slytherin friends?"

Cyan smiled, "They're all paired up already and I thought it would be nice to conduct a little Inter House relations."

The girl didn't seem to buy his story but she shrugged with one shoulder and moved her books closer to her, allowing him some space. Cyan smiled and slid gracefully into the chair, "Thank you."

The other girl didn't reply but he could see a slight flush colouring her cheekbones. Class was rather uneventful after he had learned her name, Hermione Granger, and as they worked on a complex Potion. As the students were promptly given their tasks to complete and the Potions Master didn't see a need to observe them too closely, seeing that it was the Advanced Class, the young man found time to look around. Cyan found the Gryffindor girl easy to work with but he could also see that she was lonely and introverted, if not brilliantly intelligent. If Cyan were the Hat, he would have placed her in Ravenclaw. Why was she in Gryffindor?

The severe man's voice cut through his thoughts and Cyan's attention settled on his Head of House.

"For the next section of this month's module, you will be doing a project regarding Potions Combinations. You will be in pairs for this project and the requirements of this activity will involve research, experimenting and testing. I will check your progress in these three stages sporadically. This project will be centered on Healing. Each group will have to combine three basic potions to create one with multiple uses. The pair with the best, most thoroughly researched and tested combination will be awarded with 100 points each to their respective Houses and a vial of an unusual Potion."

The serious man's intensely dark eyes swept across everyone in his classroom, "You may choose your partners now."

Cyan was slightly saddened to see that everyone except for Hermione jumped at the chance of choosing someone to work with. It was even sadder to see Hermione just sitting there quietly. Cyan felt his heart go out to her as he looked around to see everyone else paired. Was she always alone?

"Hey," the girl looked up with surprise as Cyan's smooth voice roused her from her self-pitying moment, "would you like to work with me?"

"Wouldn't you prefer it if you worked with someone in your own House? I'm a _Mudblood _after all and you don't associate with the likes of me." The Gryffindor girl's eyes narrowed and her lips hardened in a cynical line. Cyan frowned.

"Don't assume things. Yes, I might be a Slytherin but I'm there because of my ambitiousness, not because I'm pureblooded and prejudiced. I know I am not because," Cyan lowered his voice, "I'm not even pureblooded myself."

Hermione's brown eyes widened and Cyan shot her a disarming smile, "So be my partner?"

The girl nodded woodenly and Cyan nodded with a grin, "Awesome, you and I, we're going to wipe the floor off their feet!"

At the Muggle expression, Hermione's gaze softened slightly and she even offered Cyan a hesitant, unsure smile. "So when do you want to meet up to talk about possible combinations and to do some research?"

Hermione chewed on her lower lip as she thought it over, "I'm basically free everyday after dinner, it's when you're free."

Cyan nodded, "Right now, I'm unattached and have no obligations. Maybe we'll start our research three days from now? I might have to change the dates, seeing that this is my first class and all."

Hermione nodded understandingly and Cyan shot her a bright smile that left her reeling, when was the last time someone her age smiled at her like that? Like she was a close friend?

The bell rang and Hermione was actually sorry to hear it go. Cyan gathered his books and bag but before he left, the Slytherin boy actually bade her goodbye cheerfully.

"I look forward to working with you!"

Hermione blushed and nodded, while the Potions Master looked on with interest.

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The rest of the week was uneventful by Cyan's standards but classes he chose were quite interesting and research with Hermione started off smoothly; he was now on good speaking terms with the intelligent Gryffindor.

He had also taken the time to map out the school, examining almost every nook and cranny, tunnels and secret passageways. Uncovering the passageways had been fun, although he nearly always came out dusty and dirty.

Cyan had his ears and eyes open all the time, and overheard quite a lot of tasty tidbits. By the end of the week, Cyan would say that he'd got a good grasp on the inner workings of Hogwart's student population.

The Houses were barriers of prejudice that were passed down from parents to children. There were stereotypes all over the place constricting the students, Cyan curled his lips in distaste; it was unsightly.

Hogwarts was a socio-political allegory for the real world. Slytherin was the Dark Side while Gryffindor was the Light, leading the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs, presumably the rest of the world, against the 'Dark."

Cyan thought that the lines drawn between Black and White were too simple; they left out the Grey.

Just because the Slytherins valued ambition and cunningness above loyalty and courage than the average Gryffindor doesn't automatically categorize them as 'evil.' They do have loyalty and integrity; it's just that their ambition and cunning qualities are more pronounced.

It wasn't just the Slytherins who become Death Eaters; there were also quite the handful of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. The Gryffindors today will have to eat their socks because there were a few Gryffindor Death Eaters too, and he knew one personally.

But what disgusted Cyan the most was that Dumbledore was doing nothing to rectify this mistake, in fact, it seems as if he was encouraging it by showing favouritism blatantly on the Gryffindors. It merely inflamed the rivalry and stereotypes between the students. It was a vicious cycle.

Blaise, who looked over and asked, suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

"Hey, Black. You play Quidditch?"

Cyan shrugged, "Now and then."

Draco's interest was captured and as the Slytherin Quidditch Captain, the blond continued prodding. "Which position do you favour?"

"Seeker, although Chaser is fine by me too. Who's on the team?"

"Draco's Captain and Seeker but he's thinking of changing to Chaser, the other two Chasers are Ash and myself. Millicent, Vince and Greg alternate between themselves for the two Beaters position. We're missing a Keeper and a Seeker."

"You any good?"

"Maybe," Cyan decided to be vague, hiding the fact that he was very good. Draco's grey gaze glittered thoughtfully.

"Tryouts is tonight, join us."

Cyan figured that trying out wouldn't hurt so he nodded. Blaise grinned, "It's at half-past eight in the Quidditch Pitch. You got your own broom?"

The Black nodded again, by now a little excited at the prospect of flying competitively again. Cyan returned to the Slytherin Dungeons after dinner, wanting to complete some of his assignments before the Quidditch tryouts. From what he gathered from Blaise, Gryffindor and Slytherin were always neck-to-neck in obtaining the Quidditch Cup, neither winning more than the other. Slytherin had won the Cup last year and they were aiming for a second win in a hundred years.

Cyan never really cared about the game; he enjoyed winning just as much as the next person but he just loved being on a broom and the feeling of the wind whipping through his hair and against his face. He felt alive while being on a broom and he enjoyed the feeling of absolute freedom, regardless of how temporary it was.

His alarm beeped and Cyan realized that it was already a quarter past eight. The Slytherin finished his sentence on his Charms essay and went to retrieve his broom from his trunk. Exactly at half-past eight, the Seventh Year arrived at the pitch, thrumming with nervousness and excitement.

Cyan saw that the Quidditch Team hopefuls ranged from the youngest possible, Second Years, to the Sixth Years. He was the only Seventh Year in sight trying out. The Black then realized that the current Quidditch Team comprised solely of Seventh Years; no wonder they couldn't hold on to a winning streak. The successors were usually too inexperienced.

The Black decided that it wasn't his business; he was only here to fly.

"Ah, Black! You made it, we were beginning to think that you'd forgotten about the tryouts." The half-Italian Slytherin spotted him and made his way towards him.

"Zabini." Cyan nodded and then Blaise whistled appreciatively as he eyed the Lightning Bolt.

"Nice broom."

"Thanks." A loud whistle silenced the chattering crowd. Draco addressed the group with an authoritative voice; Cyan smirked inwardly, the blond really was a born leader.

"Alright. The purpose of today's tryout is to find us a Keeper and a Seeker." Those who came in hopes of getting a shot at the other positions slumped in disappointment, Draco carried on with a smirk.

"But," some of the younger Slytherins perked up, "We will also be putting together a full reserve team so then when the regulars graduate this year, Slytherins will still continue to win the Cup!" The crowd cheered, dignity forgone, and Draco's lips quirked in a half smile, "It will be hard because there will be no difference from being a regular. Are you willing to put in the effort? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to win?"

"YES!" Team spirit was high and Cyan couldn't help himself but to smile slightly. Everyone else had gotten it wrong, Slytherins weren't Death Eaters or Death Eaters in training, they were just children getting an education. There wasn't a difference between a Gryffindor and a Slytherin, or a Ravenclaw or a Hufflepuff.

They were just children, caught in the wrong place and in the wrong time.

But right now, let's just have fun. Cyan joined the group of students vying for the Seeker position. Again, he was the oldest and some of the younger students were practically vibrating with anticipation.

"Alright, Chasers, register with Blaise."

"Keepers, register with Ashleigh."

"Beaters, register with Millicent."

"Seekers, register with me."

Draco handed out a parchment on a clipboard and it was passed around, quills scratching the surface as they wrote their names down. It took only a few minutes to categorize the hopefuls.

"This is how the tryouts will go, we will test you by groups and then we'll announced the selected at the end. You will be going against the regulars, you will be observed."

"Chasers first!

After a grueling two hours of testing everyone else except him, Cyan finally got his chance to fly when Draco announced that the final tryout was between the blond and himself. Ashleigh stood between the pair with her fisted hand out, in which the Snitch was contained, and coolly intoned.

"Match between Cyan Black and Draco Malfoy. First to catch the Snitch wins. On the count of one, mount your brooms and on the count of two, fly off and on the count of three, I'll release the Snitch. Draco, you are on the left side of the Pitch and both of you are to face each other until the twenty second wait is over. Are the terms agreeable?"

Both Cyan and Draco nodded, adrenaline already starting to course through their veins.

"One." The Slytherin boys swung their leg effortlessly over the broom, getting ready.

"Two." Cyan shot Draco a smirked and kicked his broom into air, the blond following soon after. They quickly assumed their positions at the opposite sides of the Pitch. Ashleigh's blue-grey gaze glittered and she smirked, "Three."

She released the Snitch and from Blaise's wand, silvery numbers shot out to start a countdown.

"Fifteen."

"Ten."

"Five." Everyone looked on with anticipation.

"Zero."

Cyan flashed Draco a mischievous look before zipping off. Draco tinged slightly but shook his head to clear his head, narrowed his eyes and started circling the pitch, scanning the area for the Snitch.

It was five minutes into the match when Ashleigh's voice rang out clearly in the Pitch via her Sonorous.

"We're releasing the Bludgers."

Cyan didn't even look fazed as brilliant green eyes searched the Pitch as he flew, as elegant as a peregrine falcon. Draco stared; the boy was beautiful on the wild tresses were whipping in the wind and his emerald eyes were alight with joy, lending Cyan an almost otherworldly allure from which Draco couldn't tear his eyes away. Draco knew that he looked good on his broom; the screaming from the girls in the stands during matches was more than enough to prove it, but he didn't look as if the broom was a physical extension of himself.

The other Slytherin boy circled the pitch, looking like he belonged on the broom and caring about nothing else in the world except for flying. Draco observed sharp turns, elegant flips when the Bludgers flocked him. With his slighter, lithe physique and his sharp reflexes, Cyan Black was the very picture of the perfect Seeker. Draco felt a pang of envy but buried it because he felt more admiration than jealousy.

Draco smiled slightly to himself; as Captain, he had seen enough to judge but as a spectator, Draco didn't think there was ever enough to be satisfied. He held up a hand and said through a magically enhanced voice.

"Enough."

There were looks on disappointment on the spectators' faces but it was already ten to eleven and curfew was at half-past eleven. Cyan and Draco touched down and got off their brooms. Blaise raised an eyebrow while Ashleigh's blue-grey gaze was knowing.

"I'm afraid I had to cut the match short because it's nearly curfew, Professor Snape wouldn't be pleased if we were all caught out after curfew. You will see more of Cyan's flying because he's our new Seeker." Cyan grinned and nodded while the crowd cheered. Ashleigh handed Draco a piece of parchment. While the older students were impassive and some of the younger years had hope written on their faces, there was a widespread vibe of anticipation in the air as they waited for the announcement.

"Our new Keeper is Ryan Dietrich." A lanky, impressively tall brunet with startling blue eyes nodded. The Sixth Year had shown a skill on the broom that did not match his physique; even Ashleigh and Blaise had difficulty scoring while he was guarding the rings.

"Alright, our new reserve team consists of Princeton Cunningham, Augustine Yaxley and Regina Baxter as Chasers, Dorian and Adrian Kensington as Beaters, Caius Flint as Keeper and Gordon Llewellyn as Seeker. Congratulations on making the team. Everyone did very well today. Both teams will meet every Tuesday and Thursday for practice at half-past eight. The regulars will have an extra practice session on Saturday afternoon as well. Get back to the Dungeons." Authority infused the Malfoy's smooth baritone and the entire group started to make their way back to the Slytherin dormitories. Draco caught Cyan's eyes and he smirked.

"This isn't finished yet, Black. We'll continue this another time."

Cyan smirked and gave the taller Slytherin a nod. "I'm always up for the challenge," the slighter boy gave the Malfoy scion a meaningful look and the challenge in his eyes, "_Draco_."

Draco quirked a half smile and ran a hand through his darkened white blond locks, "Glad to hear that," he paused for a bit.

_"Cyan."_

The Black gave the blond a nod before joining the rest of the crowd in getting back to their rooms. Draco observed the newcomer for a bit before making his way back to his personal rooms for a shower.

Little did Draco know that this final year would be the year that he'll never forget or want to forget.

--------------------------------

**Coming Up Next: **The Lioness Learns to Strike

Hi everyone! The rewrites are now in progress, albeit a little slow, but please bear with me! I will flying to the country of where my university is in a week and a half, so updates will be especially slow. Once I am firmly entrenched in the university life, updates will be slow as well but I hope it would be more regular, say three weeks per chapter since I hope to hit the 7000 word bar for each chapter. I do hope to finish every story I put up, no matter how long it takes. I hope this few fic would curb the urge to strangle me for a while. This fic would be political as well, both within and outside of Hogwarts. A traditional Courting would take place as well, therefore pairings are needed. So suggestions are always welcomed.

Cheers,  
Lex


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